The 2011 Progress of the World's Women: In Pursuit of Justice report is a global survey of women's access to justice looking both at legislation passed by governments and the steps taken (or not taken) to implement those laws. The "paradox" confronted by the report is that despite the recent and rapid expansion of women's legal entitlements, what is written in the statute books does not always translate into real progress on equality and justice on the ground.
The report looks at which countries have passed special legislation on
women's political rights and economic opportunities and on women's reproductive
health and rights. It looks at which countries have laws against domestic
violence, sexual harassment and marital rape. It catalogues data on development
indicators related to women, and looks country-by-country at women's
participation in politics.
The survey pulls out the case of Rwanda as an example of progress. Rwanda has the world's highest share of women in top decision-making posts: 51% of parliamentarians and half of its supreme court judges are women. According to the report: "The presence of women in parliament has been a pivotal factor in achieving progressive legal reform on land, marriage and inheritance." And beyond pushing through new legislation, the report says Rwanda's women parliamentarians have also played a crucial role in implementing these new laws taking their male colleagues on nationwide tours to monitor the application of laws and help change attitudes on women's rights.
Some highlights from the report:
139 constitutions guarantee gender equality, 117 countries
have equal pay laws, and 115 countries guarantee women's equal property rights
globally, 53% of working women are in vulnerable employment and women are
paid up to 30% less than men in some countries
125 countries outlaw domestic violence, but 127 countries do not explicitly
criminalise rape within marriage
around the world, 603 million women live in countries where domestic violence
is not considered a crime and more than 2.6 billion live in countries where
marital rape is not a criminal offence
61 countries severely restrict women's rights to abortion
50 countries have a lower legal age of marriage for women than for men
Rwanda has the highest share of women in parliament (51%), followed by Sweden
(45%). In the UK, only 21% of parliamentarians are women, and in the US that
figure is down to 17%
the first woman elected to parliament was in Finland, in 1907
Boosting the number of legislators who are women is one of the key
recommendations of the report and is also a key indicator for the millennium development
goal on gender equality. The UN Women report suggests using quotas to increase
numbers do so. Of the 28 countries that have reached or exceeded 30% of women's
representation in national parliaments, at least 23 have used quotas.
The use of quotas is an increasingly popular idea one
that Glenys Kinnock championed on the Global development
site last year. But it's not without its critics. A 2010 bulletin
from the Institute of Development Studies, for example, noted that quotas
can be more about maintaining the legitimacy of a regime than about women's
empowerment. And the assumption that women in parliament promote progressive
politics might not hold - women can just as easily reinforce elite agendas, and
quotas may disproportionately favour wealthier women.
We've pulled out some of key data from the report, which you can download below. We've included key dates (such as when women got the right to vote, or the right to stand for election), key figures (such as numbers of women parliamentarians, rates of maternal mortality, women's unemployment and the gap between women's and men's wages) and key laws (such as those on abortion and those against domestic violence, sexual harassment, and marital rape).
Data Summary
Women's Legal Rrights Around the World
|
|||||
Country |
Year women got the right
to vote |
Share of women in
parliament (%), 2011 |
Laws against domestic
violence |
Laws against sexual
harassment |
Laws against marital rape |
".." Indicates that data are not available or that data sources
are contradictory Source:
UN Women, Progress of the Worlds Women: In Pursuit of Justice, 2011 |
|||||
Afghanistan
|
1963
|
28
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Albania
|
1920
|
16
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Algeria
|
1962
|
7 |
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Andorra
|
1970
|
36
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Angola
|
1975
|
39
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Antigua
and Barbuda |
1951
|
19
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Argentina
|
1947
|
38
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Armenia
|
1921
|
9 |
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Australia
|
1902,
1962 |
28
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Austria
|
1918
|
28
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
..
|
Azerbaijan
|
1921
|
16
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Bahamas
|
1961,
1964 |
18
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Bahrain
|
1973
|
15
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Bangladesh
|
1972
|
19
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Barbados
|
1950
|
20
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Belarus
|
1919
|
32
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Belgium
|
1919,
1948 |
38
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
..
|
Belize
|
1954
|
11
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Benin
|
1956
|
11
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Bhutan
|
1953
|
14
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Bolivia
|
1938,
1952 |
30
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Bosnia
and Herzegovina |
1949
|
16
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Botswana
|
1965
|
8 |
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Brazil
|
1932
|
10
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Brunei
Darussalam |
|
..
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Bulgaria
|
1944
|
21
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Burkina
Faso |
1958
|
15
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Burundi
|
1961
|
36
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Cambodia
|
1955
|
19
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Cameroon
|
1946
|
14
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Canada
|
1917,
1951 |
25
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Cape
Verde |
1975
|
18
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Central
African Republic |
1986
|
..
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Chad
|
1958
|
5 |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Chile
|
1931,
1949 |
14
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
China
|
1949
|
21
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Colombia
|
1954
|
14
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Comoros
|
1956
|
3 |
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Congo
|
1963
|
9 |
No
|
..
|
No
|
Costa
Rica |
1949
|
39
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Cτte
d'Ivoire |
1952
|
9 |
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Croatia
|
1945
|
24
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
..
|
Cuba
|
1934
|
43
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Cyprus
|
1960
|
13
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Czech
Republic |
1920
|
21
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
..
|
Democratic
People's Republic of Korea |
1946
|
16
|
..
|
..
|
..
|
Democratic
Republic of the Congo |
1967
|
8 |
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Denmark
|
1915
|
38
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Djibouti
|
1946
|
14
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Dominica
|
1951
|
13
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Dominican
Republic |
1942
|
19
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Ecuador
|
1929,
1967 |
32
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Egypt
|
1956
|
13
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
El
Salvador |
1939
|
19
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Equatorial
Guinea |
1963
|
10
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Eritrea
|
1955
|
22
|
No
|
..
|
No
|
Estonia
|
1918
|
23
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Ethiopia
|
1955
|
26
|
Yes
|
..
|
No
|
Fiji
|
1963
|
..
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Finland
|
1906
|
40
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
..
|
France
|
1944
|
20
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Gabon
|
1956
|
16
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Gambia
|
1960
|
8 |
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Georgia
|
1918,
1921 |
7 |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Germany
|
1918
|
32
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Ghana
|
1954
|
8 |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Greece
|
1949,
1952 |
17
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Grenada
|
1951
|
21
|
Yes
|
..
|
No
|
Guatemala
|
1946
|
12
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Guinea
|
1958
|
..
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Guinea-Bissau
|
1977
|
10
|
No
|
No
|
..
|
Guyana
|
1953
|
30
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Haiti
|
1950
|
11
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Honduras
|
1955
|
18
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Hong
Kong, China (Special Administrative Region) |
..
|
..
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Hungary
|
1918
|
9 |
No
|
No
|
No
|
Iceland
|
1915,
1920 |
43
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
India
|
1950
|
11
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Indonesia
|
1945
|
18
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Iran
(Islamic Republic of) |
1963
|
3 |
..
|
..
|
..
|
Iraq
|
1980
|
25
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Ireland
|
1918,
1928 |
16
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Israel
|
1948
|
19
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
..
|
Italy
|
1945
|
20
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Jamaica
|
1944
|
16
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Japan
|
1945,
1947 |
14
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Jordan
|
1974
|
12
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Kazakhstan
|
1924,
1993 |
14
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Kenya
|
1919,
1963 |
10
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Kiribati
|
1967
|
4 |
No
|
No
|
No
|
Kuwait
|
2005
|
8 |
No
|
No
|
No
|
Kyrgyzstan
|
1918
|
23
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Lao
People's Democratic Republic |
1958
|
25
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Latvia
|
1918
|
20
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Lebanon
|
1952
|
3 |
No
|
No
|
No
|
Lesotho
|
1965
|
23
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Liberia
|
1946
|
14
|
No
|
No
|
..
|
Libyan
Arab Jamahiriya |
1964
|
8 |
No
|
..
|
No
|
Liechtenstein
|
1984
|
24
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Lithuania
|
1919
|
19
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Luxembourg
|
1919
|
20
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Madagascar
|
1959
|
12
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Malawi
|
1961
|
21
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Malaysia
|
1957
|
14
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Maldives
|
1932
|
6 |
No
|
No
|
No
|
Mali
|
1956
|
10
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Malta
|
1947
|
9 |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Marshall
Islands |
1979
|
3 |
No
|
No
|
No
|
Mauritania
|
1961
|
19
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Mauritius
|
1956
|
19
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Mexico
|
1947
|
25
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Micronesia
(Federated States of) |
1979
|
0 |
No
|
No
|
No
|
Monaco
|
1962
|
26
|
Yes
|
..
|
No
|
Mongolia
|
1924
|
4 |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Montenegro
|
..
|
11
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Morocco
|
1963
|
7 |
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Mozambique
|
1975
|
39
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Myanmar
|
1935
|
4 |
No
|
..
|
No
|
Namibia
|
1989
|
25
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Nauru
|
1968
|
0 |
No
|
..
|
No
|
Nepal
|
1951
|
33
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Netherlands
|
1919
|
39
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
New
Zealand |
1893
|
34
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Nicaragua
|
1955
|
21
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Niger
|
1948
|
..
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Nigeria
|
1958,
1978 |
7 |
No
|
No
|
No
|
Norway
|
1913
|
40
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Occupied
Palestinian Territory |
..
|
..
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Oman
|
1994,
2003 |
9 |
No
|
No
|
No
|
Pakistan
|
1947
|
21
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Palau
|
1979
|
7 |
No
|
..
|
No
|
Panama
|
1941,
1946 |
8 |
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Papua
New Guinea |
1964
|
1 |
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Paraguay
|
1961
|
14
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
..
|
Peru
|
1955
|
28
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Philippines
|
1937
|
21
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Poland
|
1918
|
18
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Portugal
|
1931,
1934, 1976 |
27
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Qatar
|
..
|
0 |
No
|
..
|
No
|
Republic
of Korea |
1948
|
15
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Republic
of Moldova |
1978,
1993 |
19
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Romania
|
1929,
1946 |
10
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Russian
Federation |
1918
|
11
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Rwanda
|
1961
|
51
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Saint
Kitts and Nevis |
1951
|
7 |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Saint
Lucia |
1951
|
21
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines |
1951
|
14
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Samoa
|
1948,
1990 |
8 |
No
|
No
|
No
|
San
Marino |
1959
|
17
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Sγo
Tomι and Principe |
1975
|
18
|
Yes
|
..
|
..
|
Saudi
Arabia |
|
0 |
No
|
..
|
No
|
Senegal
|
1945
|
30
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Serbia
|
..
|
22
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Seychelles
|
1948
|
24
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
..
|
Sierra
Leone |
1961
|
13
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Singapore
|
1947
|
23
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Slovakia
|
1920
|
15
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Slovenia
|
1945
|
11
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Solomon
Islands |
1974
|
0 |
No
|
No
|
No
|
Somalia
|
1956
|
7 |
..
|
..
|
..
|
South
Africa |
1930,
1984, 1994 |
43
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Spain
|
1931
|
34
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Sri
Lanka |
1931
|
5 |
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Sudan
|
1964
|
24
|
No
|
..
|
No
|
Suriname
|
1948
|
10
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Swaziland
|
1968
|
22
|
No
|
..
|
No
|
Sweden
|
1919,
1921 |
45
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Switzerland
|
1971
|
28
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
..
|
Syrian
Arab Republic |
1949,
1953 |
12
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Tajikistan
|
1924
|
18
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Thailand
|
1932
|
14
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
The
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia |
1946
|
33
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Timor-Leste
|
..
|
29
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Togo
|
1945
|
11
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Tonga
|
1960
|
4 |
No
|
..
|
No
|
Trinidad
and Tobago |
1946
|
27
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Tunisia
|
1959
|
23
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Turkey
|
1930
|
9 |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Turkmenistan
|
1927
|
17
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Tuvalu
|
1967
|
0 |
No
|
No
|
No
|
Uganda
|
1962
|
31
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Ukraine
|
1919
|
8 |
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
United
Arab Emirates |
|
23
|
No
|
..
|
No
|
United
Kingdom |
1918,
1928 |
21
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
United
Republic of Tanzania |
1959
|
36
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
United
States of America |
1920
|
17
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Uruguay
|
1932
|
15
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Uzbekistan
|
1938
|
19
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Vanuatu
|
1975,
1980 |
4 |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Venezuela
(Bolivarian Republic of) |
1946
|
17
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Viet
Nam |
1946
|
26
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yemen
|
1967,
1970 |
1 |
No
|
No
|
No
|
Zambia
|
1962
|
14
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Zimbabwe
|
1919,
1957 |
18
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|